Have you ever had to move far from home? Perhaps to a place that was not only geographically distant, but felt foreign, wildly different from the place you had always known.
For many of us, that experience came when we started college. We had to navigate a new city, look after our own daily needs, and find community, all while experiencing some degree of culture shock.
Sreyheng Lim knows this feeling well. As a university student, she moved from her home in the rural provinces of Cambodia, to Phnom Penh, a city of about 2.5 million.
Without family or friends with whom she could reside, finding safe and affordable lodging was another challenge.
Phnom Penh was a far cry from the peaceful green countryside she had always known. Unfamiliar with the traffic, the noise, the general pace of life, Sreyheng struggled to settle in. “People here have a different way of interacting than what I am used to.”
This is a common thread for young people coming to the city to study. Some local churches have begun answering the need by providing dormitories to offer safe, affordable accommodation.
Dr. Mark Ambrose is the Co-director of Khmer Christian Center, a ministry of Mission to the World. He further explains that, unlike colleges in the US, Cambodian schools do not have programs built in to help students adjust to their new surroundings and life.
MTW’s local ministry staff saw a definite opportunity for outreach to both believing students and those with a Buddhist background.
Their three-fold mission in Cambodia is to equip Khmer pastors, disciple believers, and serve the Khmer church.
Exterior and interior views of the Khmer Christian Center student dormitory in Phnom Pehn.
Dr. Mark describes the facility as “a dorm wrapped inside a church,” and that church was the beginning of the project.
“We had been renting space but we felt that was no longer a viable option. If we really wanted to show people we were serious about being here, we needed to put down roots.”
— Dr. Mark Ambrose, Co-Director, Khmer Christian Center
Sensing that a building project of this size far exceeded the staff’s ability to tackle on their own, MTW reached out to EMI.
As they held meetings to discuss the possibilities, Dr. Mark and the MTW staff were amazed at how EMI sought to learn about their ministry.
Architect Menea Ly elaborates: “We helped them see different needs they had not considered. Like, even though Cambodia’s building codes don’t require it, an elevator would be very helpful for accessibility for the elderly or those in wheelchairs.”
With the unique situation of a “dorm wrapped inside a church,” Sreyheng was able to not only find a community of friends, but ways to exercise her ministry skills.
She taught Sunday school to neighborhood children during her years of residence there. Sreyheng also recounts the personal growth she experienced just by living with others.
“Living in community we have to share space with different people from different places. We also share a lot of responsibilities, do daily life together studying and having fellowship. I was able to learn a lot from others and they built my faith stronger than it was before.”
— Sreyheng Lim, EMI Staff and former MTW dormitory resident
Later Sreyheng joined EMI Cambodia as a civil/structural engineering intern, and is currently in the Fellowship Program.
Architect Menea Ly points out, “There are many young Cambodians who want to work but also serve and to grow at the same time. EMI Cambodia is a precious gem.”
Office Director Chris Hardrick agrees. “Here in Cambodia we are not just coming in to do infrastructure projects. We are filling a need to support young professionals, to train and build them up. A lot of our Cambodian staff who have been here a long time, they’re now the ones who are investing and leading these projects for organizations that are making an impact in their communities and in their country.”
“Even just thirty years ago Cambodia was dependent upon outsiders to help. Now young Cambodians are leading the way and it’s a blessing as EMI to come alongside them and play a small part in helping them see where God is using them to make an impact.”
— Chris Hardrick, EMI Cambodia Director
Menea says, “When we got to the point where I could see the shape of the building coming along, I was so excited for the people who were going to use it, and the ministry too. They’re going to have a nicer place. They can study and grow there.”
Sreyheng’s sister is now one of those living at the MTW dormitory like her big sister before her.
Thinking back over her own experience, Sreyheng says, “I’m really happy for others who get to live there. You’re with other Christians, your faith grows, and you’re sharing God’s love with one another.”
